Receiving pop-ups from Perfect Hotkey each day I boot up my PC. It wants me to update my version. I would like to stop the unwanted pop-ups. Any suggestions on how I can accomplish that, without updating?

There are a set number of keys on the keyboard and yes there are default hotkeys. Most movie and music players let you use a host of preset or user defined hotkeys as well. Most graphics programs and many other programs will list hotkeys for certain task. This is all good and well but I do not see any reason to push things to their limit. If you do lots of task on your computer you most likely have a set of programs you use. So... why not use a simple macro program, it seems like the most reasonable method of setting things up.

FYI

KeyRocket by veodin is NOT free.

ok, as this may help ...two cents from one more who does have extensive experience evaluating and using macro packages. There are two types:
1. easy to use apps for quicky creation of short macros that mostly intend to automate one or a few very frequent multi-keystroke or menu tasks, (like open a website page or eject your dvd).

2. detailed 'almost a programming language' business task automation tools that can handle functions like variables, loops, if-then-else, menus and picklists as well as fully controlling all windows and exactly what the user sees.

Perfect Hotkey is a good example of type 1 (from the trusty folks who wrote winutilities). It offers very easy use, but only a short list of commands available. Similar packages are macro magic or easy macro recorder, or hotkeyz. (you can google and find these).

Giovanni's mention of autohotkey (formerly autoit) is instead a type 2 tool with all the bells and whistles, for recording, then editing and adding to complex scripts to do exactly all and whatever you want [Autohotkey can even assign joystick/gamepad button macros for specific games, replacing the software that you get with them]. Another such is the legendary macroexpress http://www.macros.com/features.htm (cost $30-50 but worth every last penny if you need it). (With that one I once automated an entire business process to read multiple saved MS Word forms, run python scripts to extract their data, then put it into excel tabs, create and update graphic reports, then also enter the data into a web-based DR package... all from one little menu.) Or there's winautomation (way more expensive at $150 ..but http://www.winautomation.com/user-stories is worth a look to see the kinds of uses the type 2 packages can handle.

So first decide whether you need type 1 or 2 ...or neither. (the type 2s of course can also do the simple type 1 shortcuts and macros ..they just can do much more). Then ..just go find and peruse the list of commands for each and see if your particular needs are covered.

If you only need program shortcut lists, did you know you can simply create category-named folders within the start button program list, and then drag your programs by category into them so you can have a few neat program folders by category come up right on your start menu? Put them here:
find the folder where your program list is stored ..usually C:\Users\youruserid\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs and arrange and folderize it to your personal degree of neatness.

Reading the comments here, it sounds like there is some sort of "competition" between the "hotkey-users" and the "point and click"-users.

I use both methods side by side.
All my programs are organized in folders. Text-editing, video players, music players etc.
I also use hotkeys whenever possible. (ctrl + alt + letter).
Ctrl+alt+W for Word, X for excel, M for music player, O for Outlook.

This way, I get the best of both worlds. If I want to use hotkeys, I use hotkeys. if I am uable to remember the hotkey-commands, I use the folders and start the program by clicking the appropriate icon...

I will pass on this program, because I allready have my computer set up with hotkeys (properties/shortcuts on files on the desktop), and I fear a specialized program like this could mess up a system that is allready working.

If you have never used hotkeys, I recomend you give this program (or any of the others recommended here) a try. Start easy. Pick the three programs you use the most, and assign hotkeys to them.
And try it out for a week or two.
You might find you like it. And there really are no "either/or" with hotkeys/mouse-clicking. You can do both, and still be more productive/work faster.

http://hi.ylcomputing.com/products/perfect-hotkey/download
Why not GOTD version 1.2 ?

http://www.softpedia.com/progChangelog/Perfect-Hotkey-Changelog-244288.html

Perfect Hotkey 1.2 - Changelog

What's new in Perfect Hotkey 1.2:
December 9th, 2013
* Improved Canned Messages Manager
* Improved Canned Messages Selector

What's new in Perfect Hotkey 1.1:
December 2nd, 2013
* Added a new user interface
* Added multi-language supports
* Bugs fixes

@Mike #13
Executables of every program in each of those genres have their short-cuts in the appropriate folder, so (for example) CDex is in Audio, Debenu in PDF, Word and Excel are in Office, ...
This must be a great idea because I do the same thing. :-) Also, you can easily display each genre folder as a pop-up menu on the taskbar by using Free Launch Bar, an ingenious tool that has been around for a decade and is actively supported by its developers and a large user community.

I also use Clavier+, mainly to assign non-keyboard characters to certain hotkeys, but also to start a couple of programs. My main issue with Clavier+ is that it cannot re-allocate the default Windows hotkeys. For instance, I would like to use Win-u for typing "ü" (something I have to do frequently on a qwerty keyboard)), but I can't use that combination because it's reserved for the (to me completely useless) Windows Utility Manager (that's in XP).

Does anyone know if today's offer (or perhaps autohotkey) can actually override the Windows default hotkeys in XP?
In the page title, it says "Perfect Hotkey is a powerful hotkey ... overriding utility for Windows." but I'm not sure what exactly is meant by that.

To #10 B.M. You wrote: "if anyone can give me a reason why this [using hotkeys] would be better I would like to hear it" and here is my reply.

In my opinion all depends on two factors: (1) how skillful typist you are and (2) what type of software you use mostly.
Ad 1) There are users who use 2 or maximum 3 fingers to type and if so, their typing speed is relatively slow and not quite efortless, and there are users (me, included) who are fluent in touch typing. For the first group it may be easier and faster to find objects to click on the screen ,than to find a proper combination of keys on the keyboard to hit and get what they need. For the latter group, however, moving hand off the keyboard in order to grasp the mouse and click, click is a waste of time if you can get the same effect with one or two hits of keys.
Ad 2) There are programmes (particularly for editing graphics or movies) that have a lot of sliders etc. devices to control almost all the process with the mouse. And here, the situtation is just opposite to that described under 1). You lose time when you need to move your hand from the mouse to the keyboard to enter data. But there are also programmes (text editors, databases, sheets, programming tools and many more) using which requires a lot of typing, typing, typing... If this is the type of programmes you predominantly use with skill (and that’s my case), then you get really frustrated when your hand now and then needs to fly from the keyboard to the mouse and back to controll processes. And shortcuts are a welcomed solution to avoid "waving" hands.

Conclusion: there is no one golden rule or optimal preference. All depends on what jobs you predominantly do on your computer and how skillful you are in using computer devices.

But to ignore and to have no understanding of other preferences, is incomprehensible to me.
Best regards
Marek

If you don't use the specific hot keys in a while, they fade from the memory and you can accidentally start not intended programs at the moment where you are least able to afford all these programs that are popping up.
I had a case where a software is hard wired to certain keys, so when you activated, most of your assigned keys will not work.
What would be prudent to do is to be able to see a pop up list of the hot keys with description of what it does, otherwise I stick to the icons and explorer's menu.

I do exactly the same as #13 above. I have a folder on my desktop "PROGRAMS", in it subfolders "Audio", "Photo", "Utilities" etc. - each subfolder contains an icon for all the individual programs I have for that catagory. What helps me is when I open a subfolder I am able to quickly see and be reminded of all the programs I have available to handle whatever particular task I'm dealing with. For the few programs I use very frequently, the icons are right on my desktop anyway. Just my $.02

The advantage of using hot keys is the same as keyboard navigation -- you don't have to take your hands off the keyboard. Picking up one hand & moving it over to use the mouse is simply a time waster, something a lot of people worry about when/if you get paid by the job rather than by the hour. A couple areas where you'll find hot keys used a Lot are video editing & working with music/audio. You also pretty much need to learn & use hot keys with certain apps like Photoshop, not because it's more efficient [in P/Shop you're primarily using the mouse &/or tablet], but because that's the only easy way to access a Lot of the functions, e.g. it doesn't have a save or save-as icon on its toolbar. And of course in some games keyboard shortcuts can save your life, literally. :)

Perfect Hotkey like other launchers lets you add pretty much as many as you want [at least I didn't see a limit published on their site]. You can find plenty of lists giving all the Windows hot-keys using Google, e.g. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/keyboard-shortcuts#keyboard-shortcuts=windows-7 , you can already assign hot-key or shortcut key combos to most any shortcut [in the shortcut's properties], and for more complicated stuff you can create tasks using Windows' own Task Scheduler, using a hot-key combo for the shortcut that runs that task on demand. Extra buttons or keys on your mouse or keyboard can usually be assigned to hot-key combos depending on the software provided by the keyboard &/or mouse manufacturer.

The downaide to having/using a bunch of hot-key combos is you have to learn & remember them if they're going to do you any good. The most common learning aid AFAIK is simple cheat sheets -- once you start using whatever key combo often it becomes 2nd nature. There are also sets of stickers you place on your keyboard keys, & for some apps special keyboards where they come pre-marked. For most people it does take some effort to learn different key combos, no matter how you do it, so don't feel that you're slow or too old or something. Whether it's worth it or not is up to you -- it takes a lot of little efficiencies before you notice a difference, & often that applies to using hot keys... one shortcut combo instead of the mouse might not mean much, but figure out how to use a 1/2 dozen during the course of a job & you'll likely be motivated to keep on using them.

1. While installing (with Revo)got multiple memory errors. Uninstalled with Revo.

2. I have created many hot keys using Windows shortcuts. No need for this.

Still using CLAVIER+. Does the same, plus 'program' keys to do ≠, ± etc.
And uses hardly any RAM.

The conventional way to open a program on your PC is by pointing your mouse to the Window start button, clicking on the Start button, then you will click on All Programs, your eyes must first look and search for your program icon, then you must click on it and only then it will be the program be launched. Using your mouse like this takes time.

Well if that's conventional, then a lot of computer users must be wasting a helluva lot of time.

Me, I have a folder in C:\My Documents entitled Main Programs. Within that folder are eight subfolders: Audio, Video, Images, PDF, Office, Computer Maintenance, Internet and Sundry.

Executables of every program in each of those genres have their short-cuts in the appropriate folder, so (for example) CDex is in Audio, Debenu in PDF, Word and Excel are in Office, Sagelight is in Images, Revo in Computer Maintenance, Burning Studio in Video, inSSIDer and Xirrus in Internet and my Garmin software, in Sundry.

Creating those shortcuts is the simplest task imaginable: developers generally ask if you want a desktop or Quicklaunch shortcut adding when installing their software so just click 'yes,' open the relevant sub-folder in that C:\My Documents\Main Programs and drag the shortcut into it.

A single short-cut in Quick Launch is all that's needed to access this extensive range of programs -- a range catalogued by genre, and in my case comprising a total 58 different apps and programs, any one of which is accessible within mere seconds.

There are, it seems, a lot of computer users out there who know no better than to cover their monitors with short cut icons for every program imaginable. Or crowd out their QL bar likewise. To them, the hot key approach may seem a good one, until it's realised that if you're like me, with 58 executables to choose from, the number of hot keys required is going to be absurd. Not only that: the hot key approach means remembering which of the dozen or so video converters and editors you happen to have, rather than just clicking once from the QL bar to open your C:\My Documents\Main Programs and then a second mouse click on your Video sub folder.

Today's developer would perhaps be better advised to tell prospective users of more sensible uses of hot keying -- but then, that takes such a user not to a $22 commercial software such as today's but to:

http://www.autohotkey.com/

an astonishing freeware that's been around for years, is used by millions, and nowadays has so short a learning curve that anyone can create their own HKs -- or just have fun on the worldwide autohotkey community forum and copy the little scripts written by members for anything and everything one might think of.

Thanks, GAOTD, and thanks too to YL Computing, but no thanks.

It would be beneficial if your program could list all of the registered Hot Keys (Not just those created with your program)

I am using a similar software, Keymaker, and I would say that it is a useful program, convenient for opening programs. For example, I made a shortcut CTRL G to go here, and is very convenient since I do not like adding websites to My favourites. I also add several programs that I open frequently. In Keymaker, there is even a choice to do a search on any search machine you choose upon right clicking of a word.

Now, what are the cons. Make sure that each shortcut key is unique because it cannot share them with other programs. Also, evaluation of such a program needs sometime of frequent use because it sometimes conflicts with resident programs.

ok I know I will get a lot of down votes for this but I don't really care here it goes,

YL Computing says this will be faster than using your mouse

ok REALLY COME ON NOW, if I have a program that I use enough I already have it either saved to a tab or I can get to it with less mouse clicks than 5 usually with 1 or 2 mouse clicks,

if I don't use a program that often then I can still get to it in about 4 mouse clicks, even if I have a program I haven't used for say a year I can still get to it in 5 clicks,

I have been online and using a PC for 10 years now and not once have I ever needed to use a hotkey utility for anything,
in fact I always open my task manager and stop all hotkey processes as soon as I log on,

now don't get me wrong I am sure there are those of you out there
that just can not live with out it,
but I just don't see what the use for this could be

I already have my programs set so I can get to them when I need them

if anyone can give me a reason why this would be better I would like to here it

thank you GAOD and YL Computing but I will pass, as I don't see any need for this 8=)

The first thing that happens is that it tells you there's a new version. The improvements are minor yet they couldn't offer the new version here? It's an excellent concept for the average user but any advanced user would know about CTRL and FN keys in windows. Even my 2 mice and desktop keyboard provides all of these functions and more but then again they have 10 - 12 buttons (Logitech Illuminated Keyboard, Logitech G700 and a G500).
Again, nice interface and nothing that will confuse an average user. One suggestion would be to expand the possible functions and especially, add a macro option to perform any action the user wants, not just those you think would be handy.

I am the perfect hotkey tester, because I simply never used hotkeys. In my age it is difficult to remember dozens of hot keys.

Okay, let's start.

Installed and registered automatically without problems on a Win 8.1 64 Bit System.

Starts immediately with the claim, that it cannot register + as hotkey. As I am a hotkey novice I do not understand this message.
The hotkey control center tells me under "statistics" Failure:1 hotkey, but it doesn't give me more information about what hotkey and why. This is simply bad programming. Thumbs down!

The today installed software tells me immediately, that there is an update from Version 1.1 to 1.2. Downloaded the new version, the registration remains for GiveawayOftheDay.

I made a new hotkey for IrfanView, the process is simple and understandable and it works.

Surely a keeper for the hotkey fan.

I rebooted and uninstalled. Not because it is a "bad" software, but I already forget how to call IrfanView. I prefer to click on the symbol...

Thanks to YL Software + GOTD.
This software is fine.

However it suffers from an extremely serious inherent problem, discovered during installation of the software.

The EULA that is in the software is WRONG!!!
It is an EULA for a completely different software.

I append the EULA below.

----------------------------------------------
WinUtilities
Copyright 2006-2014 YL Computing, Inc.
All rights reserved.

IMPORTANT - READ CAREFULLY:
This license agreement is a legal agreement between you (individual or a legal entity) and YL Computing, Inc, the vendor of the software product "WinUtilities".

YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS LICENSE AGREEMENT AND THE LIMITATIONS OF YOUR LICENSE BY INSTALLING, COPYING, DISTRIBUTING OR OTHERWISE USING WINUTILITIES. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE, DO NOT INSTALL, DISTRIBUTE OR USE WINUTILITIES IN ANY WAYS.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Definitions
2. Grant of license
3. Restrictions and limitations of use
4. Termination of license
5. Confidentiality
6. Disclaimer
7. Limited liability
8. Distribution
9. Reservation of rights

1. DEFINITIONS

" WinUtilities " means the WinUtilities software product and everything included in its official distribution packages, such as the documentation, all the plug-ins, and all other files.

"the Vendor" means the developer of the " WinUtilities " software product, YL Computing, Inc (YL Software-www.ylcomputing.com).

2. GRANT OF LICENSE

The Vendor grants you the following rights provided that you comply with all terms and conditions of this license agreement:

1. Usage. You may install, use, access, display and run WinUtilities in so many computers that the license you own allows you to.

3. RESTRICTIONS AND LIMITATIONS OF USE

You are NOT allowed to:

1. Modify, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble or otherwise attempt to reconstruct or discover the source code, or any parts of it from the binaries of WinUtilities.

2. Create, develop, distribute, use, install or store in your computer a program, source code, mechanism, method, protocol or algorithm to bypass or to break WinUtilities' features or license validation.

3. Remove any product identification, copyright, proprietary notices or labels from WinUtilities.

4. Distribute, re-distribute, rent, lease or sell the licensed version of WinUtilities or any portions of it or the license itself or any portions of the license without a written permission from the Vendor.

5. Distribute WinUtilities in any other form than in the official distribution packages without a written permission from the Vendor.

6. Use the licensed version of WinUtilities if you know that the copy you are using is illegal or the license itself is illegal or fake.

7. Use, run, copy, distribute or store WinUtilities in your computer if this license agreement is violated in any ways.

4. TERMINATION OF LICENSE

The Vendor has the right to terminate this license if you do not abide by the terms and conditions of this license, in which case you must destroy all copies of WinUtilities and all of its component parts.

5. CONFIDENTIALITY

Licensed version of WinUtilities and any license authorization codes or files are confidential. You agree to take adequate steps to protect WinUtilities and any license authorization codes and registration file from authorization disclosure or use. You agree that you will not disclose the licensed version of WinUtilities, any parts of it, its license or any parts of the license to any third party.

6. DISCLAIMER

THE VENDOR EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NONINFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS, AND ANY WARRANTY THAT MAY ARISE BY REASON OF TRADE USAGE, CUSTOM, OR COURSE OF DEALING. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WINUTILITIES IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THAT THE VENDOR DOES NOT WARRANT THAT WINUTILITIES WILL RUN UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR FREE NOR THAT WINUTILITIES WILL OPERATE WITH HARDWARE AND/OR SOFTWARE NOT PROVIDED BY THE VENDOR. THIS DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY CONSTITUTES AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE AGREEMENT. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO THE ABOVE EXCLUSION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU, AND YOU MAY HAVE OTHER RIGHTS, WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO STATE.

7. LIMITED LIABILITY

The entire risk as to results and performance of WinUtilities is assumed by you. Under no circumstances will the Vendor or his licensors be liable for any direct or special, indirect, incidental, exemplary or consequential damages of any kind or nature whatsoever, whether based on contract, warranty, tort (including negligence), strict liability or otherwise, arising out of or in any way related to WinUtilities or this agreement, even if the Vendor or his licensors have been advised of the possibility of such damage or if such damage could have been reasonably foreseen, and notwithstanding any failure of essential purpose of any exclusive remedy provided in this agreement. Such limitation on damages includes, but is not limited to, damages for loss of goodwill, lost profits, loss of data or software, work stoppage, computer failure or malfunction or impairment of other goods. In no event will the Vendor or his licensors be liable for the costs of procurement of substitute Software or services. in addition, in no event will the total liability of the Vendor in connection with this agreement or WinUtilities exceed the actual amount paid to the vendor, if any, for WinUtilities giving rise to the claim. You acknowledge that WinUtilities is not designed or licensed for use in on-line equipment in hazardous environments such as operation of nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation or control, or life-critical applications. The Vendor expressly disclaims any liability resulting from use of WinUtilities in any such on-line equipment in hazardous environments and accepts no liability in respect of any actions or claims based on the use of WinUtilities in any such on-line equipment in hazardous environments by you. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "life-critical application" means an application in which the functioning or malfunctioning of WinUtilities may result directly or indirectly in physical injury or loss of human life.

8. DISTRIBUTION

Unlicensed version of WinUtilities may be freely distributed provided that it is not modified in any ways and that the original distribution packages remain intact with all accompanying files, and provided that no fee is charged (except for any reasonable fees necessary to cover costs of distribution media), and that this license agreement is not violated in any ways.

9. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS

The Vendor reserves all rights not expressly granted to you in this license agreement.

I use this as it is free all the time

http://www.autohotkey.com/

It does what it says. However, a free (and IMO superior) alternative would be Hotkeyz:

http://www.skynergy.com/hotkeyz.html

I found it to be a better program for the job than Perfect Hotkey for the following reasons:
* It supports more actions, such a keeping a window on top.
* The launching of files and folder is more customizable and supports more options. For instance, if you assigned a hotkey to launch Notepad, you can choose whether you want to open its window maximized, minimized, normal, etc.; and whether you want to open a new instance of it or switch to the previous one in case you already launched it previously.
* Setting up a hotkey is done by pressing the corresponding key combination, which is faster than selecting the key off a menu.
* It allows you to use any key; PH limits you to the number of keys they added the menu. Meaning that if you have a non-English keyboard with unusual keys such as ñ or ç and you want to assign hotkeys to them, you won't be able to. This problem doesn't exists in Hotkeyz.
* It supports custom macros
* It allows you save your hotkeys to custom categories (ie: you can have a category for programs, a category for folders, etc.) and filter them, which is useful if you have many hotkeys.
* It's free, of course.

When starting this version (1.1) there is an update notification to download v1.2. Will this affect the programs registration?

The readme.txt file states, as it almost always does, that updates to future versions are not included; but technically this is a current version, not a future version. Thanks.

==============================================================
Install Notes:
Installation went smoothly with no surprises. During the install, there is a screen that asks if you want to be notified of any news. By pressing the button, it launches a page in your default browser with a place for your email address and verification, but no other information is asked for.

Personally I don't like using HOTKEYS...but if you want to really master them just use this FREE tool (it's even PORTABLE):

http://www.autohotkey.com
http://www.softpedia.com/get/PORTABLE-SOFTWARE/System/System-Enhancements/AutoHotkey-Portable.shtml

See also:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/PORTABLE-SOFTWARE/System/Launchers/Portable-HotKeyz.shtml
http://zenkey.sourceforge.net/Features.htm
http://www.veodin.com/keyrocket (==> Smart keyboard shortcuts trainer)

==> FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE <== ^_^ Enjoy!!

My 2 cents for today's giveaway....

This seems a real time saver, but...
How to be sure that some key combinations do not interfer with the default ones already encoded in the system?
(e.g. Win-Key + e to open the explorer)

Does this program include a utility/function to list all already existing key combinations?

Is it possible to set an "activation priority" in the sense that a certain key combination is "system wide" and overrides any program specific combination in case of conflict or a "subordinated level" in the sense that in case of conflict will not override the one set/coded in the active taks/prog/util?

What does this offer over autohotkey? Seems quite limited to this free alternative. Best I could say is maybe ease of use for anyone afraid of Notepad.